It is necessary for personnel working in or near radioactive environments to wear protective clothing to provide a shield against radioactive rays. For example, hospital personnel employed in the X-ray or radiology units may be exposed to radioactive energy which, as is well known, can be damaging to one's health, particularly over a long period of time.
It is therefore usual that such personnel wear protective shielding when working in such an environment. The garments normally worn comprise an inner and outer lining, with an intermediate layer or layers of lead sheet material embedded within a vinyl matrix. One significant disadvantage of such a garment is that, due to the amount of lead therein, it is extremely heavy and rapidly fatigues the wearer due to its excessive weight. Prior art garments are worn so that the entire weight thereof is carried over the shoulders and upper back of the wearer by means of shoulder straps. An example of such a prior art garment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,025 (McCoy). A further example of the prior art is the Mavig apron manufactured by Burkhart/Roentgen.
It is known that a weight carried by the back and shoulder causes significantly greater fatigue than a substantially similar weight carried by the hips. Thus, backpacks for hikers are constructed such that a pack is carried on a frame, while the weight of the frame is strapped around the waist or hips. Another part of the pack is attached to the back mainly for the purpose of stabilizing the backpack and holding it in the vertical position. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,201, Potter.
It is an object of the invention to provide a garment, the weight whereof is distributed to another part of the body better able to withstand such weight. The present invention thus provides an improved garment for use by personnel working in radioactive environments, whereby the weight of the garment is shifted from the shoulders and upper back so as to be carried by the waist of the wearer.